Fun- and Beach-Days for Palestinian Children

God has pity on kindergarten children
——————
So that their own happiness will protect us
Now and on other days.
Yehuda Amichai

It all started when Tzvia hosted two Palestinian families and their children at her granddaughter Shira’s birthday party. After the party, one of the fathers wished to take his kids to the beach. “They have never seen the sea”, he said, and for Tzvia “things clicked”. She suddenly realized that in the occupied West Bank, just a few miles from the sea, live children who have never seen it, have never swum in its water, never “ridden the surf”, or built sand castles on the beach.

Tzvia, Rachel, Rochale and Racheli decided to open the sea for Palestinian children.

Six years have gone by, the organizers’ group has grown, and with the help of a wonderful and growing group of volunteers, as well as generous donors, we bring groups of children ages 4-15 to the seashore as summer sets in. Children for whom it is the first-ever encounter with the sea.

On summer 2012, 25 groups of about 55 children and escorts each made it to the beach.

The project has resonated on the Palestinian side, yearing for the sea, and the requests to join this fun at the beach project are too numerous to be facilitated.

The joy of the children meeting the sea, the waves and the sand is heart-warming, as is the afternoon they and their parents spent with us at the Arab-Jewish Community Center in Jaffa, that opened its doors to the guests from the West Bank. After lunch, the children are active in workshops of theater, creativity, storytelling and social games, and at 5 p.m. we part with our guests, always with a taste for more.

In our column A Day at the Beach you will find the story of each day, while under Media you can read articles published by the local as well as international press, and view a video film prepared by one of our volunteers. Photo albums from each such day can be found under Pictures.

We invite you all to share this privilege of ours, and take part in a wonderful experience.